The fanless 15-inch Stainless Panel PC has a footprint of 15.6 x 12.2 inches and is less than two inches thick. The sturdy stainless steel housing has anti-corrosion protection and carries an IP65/NEMA4 sealing rating, meaning that it's completely protected against dust, and also protected against low-pressure water jets from all directions. The very wide -4 to 140 degree Fahrenheit operating temperature range means the panel can be deployed almost anywhere.

As far as technology goes, offers both Intel Atom-based versions and Intel 3rd generation Core processor-based versions. RuggedPCReview.com analyzed the former, which is powered by a 1.6GHz dual-core Atom N2600 processor, working in conjunction with the Intel NM10 chipset. The device has a single memory slot that can accommodate a maximum of 4GB of DDR3 SO-DIMM 1333MHz RAM memory. Mass storage is generally via mini PCIe-based SATA III Solid State Disk with capacities up to 256GB. Hard disks can be used as well if larger storage capacities are needed.

The display measures 15 inches diagonally and uses the 4:3 aspect ratio with 1024 x 768 pixel resolution. Backlight brightness is 400 nits, i.e. about twice as bright as a consumer notebook. Horizontal viewing angle is 160 degrees, vertical viewing angle 140 degrees, both par for this type of panel. There are no hardware directional or function buttons or controls; all operation is via screen touch. The panel comes standard with ELO 5-wire resistive touch technology, most likely ELO's AccuTouch (see here). Depending on the application, customers may also consider optional projected capacitive touch.

Onboard connectivity is limited as panels are usually installed and dedicated to one special task, as opposed to mobile devices that may need to connect to a wealth of devices and peripherals. So the Stainless Panel PC has an RJ45 LAN port, a legacy RS232 (or optional RD422/485) serial port, a dual USB 2.0 receptacle and a power jack for its 12 Volt DC operating current. All ports are in the back of the panel, facing downward.

Expansion is available via a mini PCIe slot. There aren't any other external or internal card slots. Winmate mentions that PCI expansion is available, but it requires a customized housing with a deeper profile than the stock panel's svelte two inches.

Apart from its inherent ruggedness and certification for use in certain types of hazardous locations, the Winmate Stainless Panel PC (model# R15ID3S-65FTE) is also an eyecatching and exceedingly elegant design with its sleek glass face and gleaming stainless steel bezel/housing.

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As one might expect, there are degrees of intrinsic safety, and there are many different classification systems for various hazardous substances, as well as for the degree of the presence of such substances.

For the classification of rugged computing equipment, manufacturers generally use either the North American National Electric Code (NEC) or the European ATEX directive, or both. ATEX stems from a French expression that includes ATmospheres EXplosives. How do those two entities classify hazardous environments?

NEC first differentiates between

• Class 1 (Flammable gases)
• Class 2 (Flammable dust)
• Class 3 (Flammable fibers)

• Division 1 (substance present all the time), or
• Division 2 (substance present only for brief time).

IEC/ATEX, on the other hand, first differentiates between:

• Flammable gases and vapors ("G"), and
• Flammable dust ("D").

• Zone 0 (always present)
• Zone 1 (likely present), and
• Zone 2 (occasionally present).

• Zone 20 (always present)
• Zone 21 (likely present), and
• Zone 22 (occasionally present).

• Category I (present continuously)
• Category II (present intermittently), and
• Category III (occasionally present).

To illustrate how these classification systems apply to real life situations, picture a gas station.

Using the NEC classification, underground gas tanks and tanker truck tanks are Class 1, Division 1; the area around a tanker truck or a gas pump would also be Class 1, Division 1; and the general gas station area is Class 1, Division 2.

Using the IEC/ATEX classification, underground gas tanks and tanker truck tanks are Zone 0, Category I; the area around a tanker truck or a gas pump would be Zone 1, Category I; and the general gas station area is Zone 2, Category 2.

Note that this is an oversimplification; both standards have several additional classification criteria such as temperature, explosion groups, protection levels, etc. (for additional info, check out this classification reference guide).